Four Maharashtra students win Oxford Big Read Asia Prize
Oxford University Press, the world’s largest university press, today announced the names of winners of Oxford Big Read Asia, an annual reading and writing campaign for primary and secondary students.
The Asia level winners from India are as follows:
| Student Name | School Name | Category |
| B.R Nimeesha | Sri Aurobindo Mira Universal School, Madurai | Category 1 (Ages 5 – 8) |
| Ananya Sheorey | The CDS School, Nagpur | Category 2 (Ages 9 – 11) |
| Saara Sen | Centre Point School, Nagpur | Category 2 (Ages 9 – 11) |
| Neha Chhajed | Bhavan’s BP Vidya Mandir, Nagpur | Category 3 (Ages 12 – 13) |
| Sama S. Jahagirdar | Bhavan’s BP Vidya Mandir, Nagpur | Category 3 (Ages 12 – 13) |
Oxford University Press India would like to congratulate all the winners. Their prizes, depending on the position attained, include an iPad, an OUP books bundle, a cash award and a certificate. Winners are selected nationally through participating Oxford University Press branches, and then become semi-finalists in the regional competition across Asia.
Speaking about this competition, Sivaramakrishnan Venkateswaran, Managing Director, OUP India said: “We are delighted to see growing participation and engagement in Oxford Big Read Asia. This competition provides students with an opportunity to augment the ambit of their reading and also demonstrate their literary and creative skills. He added “we believe that early age interest in reading and writing is fundamental to ensuring better learning outcomes in young learners.”
The campaign is open to schools and institutions in Hong Kong, China, India, Malaysia and Pakistan through the Oxford University Press branch offices. Submissions from students are evaluated by a panel of judges based on originality of thought and expression, vocabulary range and the overall quality of content.
Speaking about this competition, M. Gnana Sundari, Principal, Sri Aurobindo Mira Universal School, Madurai said: “I am happy to state that Oxford Big Read is an excellent contest for the students which creates in them a love for reading. Writing book reviews help students engage more deeply with what they are reading and also it is a great way to develop their vocabulary. Kudos to Oxford University Press for introducing this unique global program in India.”
All students from classes 1-9 can join the Oxford Big Read Asia competition through participating schools. Schools and institutions can participate by registering their interest to receive further details about the campaign at the time of launch.